scholarly journals What Do We Learn from Good Practices of Biologically Inspired Design in Innovation?

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 650 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacques Chirazi ◽  
Kristina Wanieck ◽  
Pierre-Emmanuel Fayemi ◽  
Cordt Zollfrank ◽  
Shoshanah Jacobs
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
Success Factors ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Ecological Impact ◽  
Cooperative Research ◽  
Biologically Inspired ◽  
Good Practices ◽  
Success Stories ◽  
Biologically Inspired Design ◽  
Key Steps

Biologically inspired design (BID) is an emerging field of research with increasing achievements in engineering for design and problem solving. Its economic, societal, and ecological impact is considered to be significant. However, the number of existing products and success stories is still limited when compared to the knowledge that is available from biology and BID research. This article describes success factors for BID solutions, from the design process to the commercialization process, based on case studies and market analyses of biologically inspired products. Furthermore, the paper presents aspects of an effective knowledge transfer from science to industrial application, based on interviews with industrial partners. The accessibility of the methodological approach has led to promising advances in BID in practice. The findings can be used to increase the number of success stories by providing key steps toward the implementation and commercialization of BID products, and to point out necessary fields of cooperative research.

scholarly journals Sustainable Robots for Humanitarian Demining

10.5772/5695 ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pedro F. Santana ◽  
José Barata ◽  
Luís Correia
Keyword(s):  
Low Cost ◽  
Ecological Impact ◽  
Advanced Technology ◽  
Common Denominator ◽  
Biologically Inspired ◽  
Humanitarian Demining ◽  
Multi Agent ◽  
Morphological Computation ◽  
Biologically Inspired Design ◽  
Short Time

This paper proposes a roadmap for the application of advanced technology (in particular robotics) for the humanitarian demining domain. Based on this roadmap, a portable demining kit to handle urgent situations in remote locations is described. A low-cost four-wheel steering robot with a biologically inspired locomotion control is the base of the kit. On going research on a method for all-terrain piloting, under the morphological computation paradigm is also introduced, along with the behavioural architecture underlying it, the Survival Kit. A multi-agent architecture, the DSAAR architecture, is also proposed as a way of promoting short time-to-market and soft integration of different robots in a given mission. A common denominator for all developments is the quest for sustainability with respect to (re-)engineering and maintainability effort, as well as economical and ecological impact. Failing to cope with these requirements greatly reduces the applicability of a given technology to the humanitarian demining domain. Finally it is concluded that biologically inspired design fits considerably well to support a sustainable demining paradigm.

scholarly journals Behavioral brittleness: the case for strategic behavioral public policy

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-26
Author(s):  
Ruth Schmidt ◽  
Katelyn Stenger
Keyword(s):  
Public Policy ◽  
Problem Solving ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Contextual Cues ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Strategic Approach ◽  
The Face ◽  
The Creation ◽  
Impact Problem

Abstract Despite widespread recognition that behavioral public policy (BPP) needs to move beyond nudging if the field is to achieve more significant impact, problem-solving approaches remain optimized to achieve tactical success and are evaluated by short-term metrics with the assumption of stable systems. As a result, current methodologies may contribute to the development of solutions that appear well formed but become ‘brittle’ in the face of more complex contexts if they fail to consider important contextual cues, broader system forces, and emergent conditions, which can take three distinct forms: contextual, systemic, and anticipatory brittleness. The Covid-19 pandemic and vaccination rollout present an opportunity to identify and correct interventional brittleness with a new methodological approach – strategic BPP (SBPP) – that can inform the creation of more resilient solutions by embracing more diverse forms of evidence and applied foresight, designing interventions within ecosystems, and iteratively developing solutions. To advance the case for adopting a SBPP and ‘roughly right’ modes of inquiry, we use the Covid-19 vaccination rollout to define a new methodological roadmap, while also acknowledging that taking a more strategic approach may challenge current BPP norms.

scholarly journals Biologically Inspired Design and Development of a Variable Stiffness Powered Ankle-Foot Prosthesis

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Agboola-Dobson ◽  
Guowu Wei ◽  
Lei Ren
Keyword(s):  
Lower Limb ◽  
Degrees Of Freedom ◽  
Sagittal Plane ◽  
Frontal Plane ◽  
Variable Stiffness ◽  
Plane Motion ◽  
Biologically Inspired ◽  
Passive Rotation ◽  
Ground Conditions ◽  
Biologically Inspired Design

Recent advancements in powered lower limb prostheses have appeased several difficulties faced by lower limb amputees by using a series-elastic actuator (SEA) to provide powered sagittal plane flexion. Unfortunately, these devices are currently unable to provide both powered sagittal plane flexion and two degrees of freedom (2-DOF) at the ankle, removing the ankle’s capacity to invert/evert, thus severely limiting terrain adaption capabilities and user comfort. The developed 2-DOF ankle system in this paper allows both powered flexion in the sagittal plane and passive rotation in the frontal plane; an SEA emulates the biomechanics of the gastrocnemius and Achilles tendon for flexion while a novel universal-joint system provides the 2-DOF. Several studies were undertaken to thoroughly characterize the capabilities of the device. Under both level- and sloped-ground conditions, ankle torque and kinematic data were obtained by using force-plates and a motion capture system. The device was found to be fully capable of providing powered sagittal plane motion and torque very close to that of a biological ankle while simultaneously being able to adapt to sloped terrain by undergoing frontal plane motion, thus providing 2-DOF at the ankle. These findings demonstrate that the device presented in this paper poses radical improvements to powered prosthetic ankle-foot device (PAFD) design.

scholarly journals Beyond analogy: A model of bioinspiration for creative design

2016 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 159-170 ◽  
Author(s):  
Camila Freitas Salgueiredo ◽  
Armand Hatchuel
Keyword(s):  
Design Process ◽  
Design Theory ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Knowledge Bases ◽  
Biologically Inspired ◽  
Concept Knowledge ◽  
Bioinspired Design ◽  
Aerodynamic Properties ◽  
Biologically Inspired Design ◽  
The Impact

AbstractIs biologically inspired design only an analogical transfer from biology to engineering? Actually, nature does not always bring “hands-on” solutions that can be analogically applied in classic engineering. Then, what are the different operations that are involved in the bioinspiration process and what are the conditions allowing this process to produce a bioinspired design? In this paper, we model the whole design process in which bioinspiration is only one element. To build this model, we use a general design theory, concept–knowledge theory, because it allows one to capture analogy as well as all other knowledge changes that lead to the design of a bioinspired solution. We ground this model on well-described examples of biologically inspired designs available in the scientific literature. These examples include Flectofin®, a hingeless flapping mechanism conceived for façade shading, and WhalePower technology, the introduction of bumps on the leading edge of airfoils to improve aerodynamic properties. Our modeling disentangles the analogical aspects of the biologically inspired design process, and highlights the expansions occurring in both knowledge bases, scientific (nonbiological) and biological, as well as the impact of these expansions in the generation of new concepts (concept partitioning). This model also shows that bioinspired design requires a special form of collaboration between engineers and biologists. Contrasting with the classic one-way transfer between biology and engineering that is assumed in the literature, the concept–knowledge framework shows that these collaborations must be “mutually inspirational” because both biological and engineering knowledge expansions are needed to reach a novel solution.

When Triple Helix Unravels

2011 ◽  
Vol 25 (5) ◽  
pp. 333-345 ◽  
Author(s):  
Denis Gray ◽  
Eric Sundstrom ◽  
Louis G. Tornatzky ◽  
Lindsey McGowen
Keyword(s):  
Social Science ◽  
Triple Helix ◽  
Science Literature ◽  
Contributing Factors ◽  
Cooperative Research ◽  
Success Stories ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Cooperative Research Centres ◽  
Research Centres ◽  
Learning Points

Cooperative research centres (CRCs) increasingly foster Triple Helix (industry–university–government) collaboration and represent significant vehicles for cooperation across sectors, the promotion of knowledge and technology transfer and ultimately the acceleration of innovation. A growing social science literature on CRCs focuses on their management and best practices, mainly through success stories and rarely by describing and analysing CRC failures. The literature on CRCs can benefit by learning from failures, as has been seen in other areas of social science. Here the authors present four mini-cases of CRC failures – centres that were successfully launched but later declined and closed – and, in contrast, one mini-case of a success story. The analysis identifies: (a) likely contributing factors in the failures, mainly environmental influences and mismanagement of centre transitions; (b) themes in the failures, notably a tendency for problems in one area to magnify the impact of problems in other areas; and (c) learning points for CRCs concerning leadership and succession. The implications for Triple Helix organizations are discussed.

Biologically Inspired Design: A Macrocognitive Account

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Swaroop S. Vattam ◽  
Michael Helms ◽  
Ashok K. Goel
Keyword(s):  
Biological Sciences ◽  
Information Processing ◽  
Engineering Design ◽  
Design Patterns ◽  
Information Processing Model ◽  
Biologically Inspired ◽  
Design Problems ◽  
Engineering Design Problems ◽  
Other Information ◽  
Biologically Inspired Design

Biologically inspired engineering design is an approach to design that espouses the adaptation of functions and mechanisms in biological sciences to solve engineering design problems. We have conducted an in situ study of designers engaged in biologically inspired design. Based on this study we develop here a macrocognitive information-processing model of biologically inspired design. We also compare and contrast the model with other information-processing models of analogical design such as TRIZ, case-based design, and design patterns.

Biologically Inspired Design: Color on Wings

1997 ◽  
Vol 479 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohan Srinivasarao ◽  
Luis Padilla
Keyword(s):  
Potassium Chlorate ◽  
Structural Variations ◽  
Biologically Inspired ◽  
Selective Reflection ◽  
Cholesteric Phase ◽  
Butterfly Wings ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Physical Effects ◽  
Biologically Inspired Design ◽  
Color Specification

Brilliant, iridescent colors found on the bodies and wings of many birds, butterflies and moths are produced by structural variations and have been the subject of study for centuries. Such brilliant colors have been described as metallic colors due to the saturation or purity of the color produced and have attracted the attention of great scientists like Newton, Michelson and Lord Rayleigh. It was recognized early on that such colors arise from physical effects such as interference or diffraction as opposed to colors that are normally produced due to the presence of chromophores which absorb or emit light. Common examples of physical colors are some butterfly wings [1], color of Indigo snake skin [2], hummingbird feathers [3,4], arthropod cuticles [which are due to selective reflection of color from the solidified cholesteric phase of chitin crystallites] [5], gemstones like opal [6,7], and some crystals like potassium chlorate [8]. While the origins of such colors are well understood the properties of color and color specification have not received much attention.

scholarly journals Cooperative Problem Solving in Telecommunication Network

2013 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 388-392
Author(s):  
Shanu K Rakesh ◽  
Bharat Choudhary ◽  
Rachna Sandhu
Keyword(s):  
Communication Network ◽  
Problem Solving ◽  
Distributed Control ◽  
Communication Networks ◽  
Foraging Behaviour ◽  
Telecommunication Network ◽  
Telecommunication Networks ◽  
Control Problems ◽  
Engineering Systems ◽  
Biologically Inspired

Swarm intelligence, as demonstrated by natural biological swarms, has numerous powerful properties desirable in many engineering systems, such as telecommunication. Communication network management is becoming increasingly difficult  due to the increasing size, rapidly changing topology, and complexity of communication networks. This paper describes  how biologically-inspired agents can be used to solve control problems in telecommunications. These agents, inspired by the foraging behaviour of ants, exhibit the desirable characteristics of simplicity of action and interaction. The colle ction of agents, or swarm system, deals only with local knowledge and exhibits a form of distributed control with agent communication effected through the environment. In this paper we explore the application of ant-like agents to the problem of routing in telecommunication networks.

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